Kiedaka, The Mists of a Past
by The Darkest of Dreams
Summary: When a young Troll comes of age her Orc caretaker reveals what garbled memories cannot. This is the background story for one of my World of Warcraft characters.


**Kiedaka - The Mists of A Past**

The subtle sounds of cracking twigs and rustling leaves caught the attention of the youth. Large ears twitched ever so slightly as this unseen being approached her position. Three thick fingers slowly edged themselves to a crudely crafted bow as she made ready to defend herself in the event of some forest hostilities. Yet, as the bow was swept upwards and the sinew string drawn taught, a hunched figure finally emerged from the heavy foliage. A deep sigh of relief fled forth from the bluish lips of the young troll as her caretaker's visage was finally made clear by the flickering light emanating from the small fire she had created for warmth.

The old crone smiled a near toothless grin as she held up a small leather pouch. Heavy lines of age creased the elderly orc's visage in many places, causing her eyes to be so squinty it almost looked as if they were shut. Kiedaka returned the smile, her tusks revealing themselves in full as she made her way to help the immensely aged green-skin. Dropping her bow on a nearby rock Kiedaka eagerly grabbed the arm of the other female, her words riddled with apprehension as she asked again the question she had spoken many a night since she had come of age.

"Did you get them Nanka, did you?" Kiedaka spoke the orcish language well; the words flowed as easily off her tongue as they did Nanka's as she answered. "Calm yourself Kiedaka, I told you tonight I would get the final ingredient and so I did." A loud cough erupted from the old orc's lips as her green appearance suddenly took on a more pallid tone. Worry caressed Kiedaka's roughly featured face as she hurriedly helped Nanka to sit by the fire. "Maybe I should have gone to get it…you are far too old to strain yourself Nanka…" The elder shook her head, beaded white hair clanking gently against her shoulders, "No no, you would not have known when or how to get these…" Again the same leather pouch was held afore Kiedaka's burgundy hued gaze, but this time a pout puckered her lips and her tusks all but disappeared. "I am more capable then you may believe Nanka…I could have found it!" Although the troll's words were harsh her hands worked to tuck the orc's shall tighter around her.

The five fingered hand of Nanka moved to stay any further movements from Kiedaka, and slowly the motherly gaze held in her features gave way to a far more somber expression. "Kiedaka, I have raised you since you were a child, you tell me you remember nothing before you found me near dead, pierced to a tree with more arrows than I cared to count…is this all correct?" Apprehension gripped Kiedaka's stomach in a tight knot, why suddenly Nanka brought up the past and looked so serious about it worried the young troll…nearly as much as when Nanka spoke of humans prowling the woods.

Her hands, now removed from Nanka's shoulders clenched in concern. "Yes Nanka, it is the first thing I can remember. After I found you I helped you get better by fetching you herbs and other things you commanded me to gather," A brief pause cut Kiedaka's statement as her mind wandered to that day. Nanka had been quite rude, the blood swathed orc looked all the part of a fierce warrior, snapping orders for her to fetch certain ingredients and to pull out arrows. Indeed, it stood in stark contrast to the sickly, hunched figure afore her now. Ebbing out of the memory Kiedaka managed to finish what she had began to say, "Why would you ask me that…?"

A soft sigh fluttered twixt the cracked lips of Nanka as the crone once more shook her head. "Kiedaka, you are a troll, I am an orc…you know I am not your true mother, although you warmed my heart after you cared for me in the woods all those long nights. I look to you as a daughter, but you must know the truth about your origins and the reasons for you not running with those of your race." Disbelief now was the prime emotion written allover Kiedaka. "Why do you speak as such Nanka…I do not understand…" Placing the leather pouch aside, Nanka leaned forward and stared deeply into the eyes of her surrogate daughter. "Kiedaka I am old, I am dying…and a way I might add I never wished to die, but I swore on my honor I would raise you, and indeed I did. You have grown into a beautiful young troll," A smile suddenly lifted the sullen features of Nanka, "Indeed, you should be out looking for a strong male to call mate!" Kiedaka recoiled backwards slightly, quite embarrassed by Nanka's words. A slight blush tinted her cheeks a light purple.

Seeing the way Kiedaka had reacted Nanka gave a throaty chuckle afore breaking down into a fit of coughing. Shaking off the disturbance to her merriment the old orc continued, "What I am trying to say Kiedaka is that it has come time that you leave me and begin your own journey." A wrinkled finger shot to the opened mouth of the youth, shushing her from barking any objections. "There is however, a story you need to know before you can make your own my child, the story of your past." Slowly Kiedaka's mouth closed and all thoughts of raising a ruckus at the thought of leaving Nanka vanished… "My…past?" She could barley say such words, it was not something spoken of much. Nanka nodded "Yes, your past…"

A hand moved to pat the nearly forgotten about pouch full of some substance that Nanka had retrieved earlier. "I told you once I had gathered this I would show you something amazing, and open your eyes to something painful. Yes, I see you are starting to understand." The orc eyed the now inquisitive appearing Kiedaka with a curt glance. "I did not think it would be anything about my past Nanka…that is why I was so excited about it…now I am not so sure." Nanka pulled the kneeling troll into her, granting the youngling a surprisingly powerful hug despite the rickety appearance.

Breaking the embrace Nanka spoke quietly, "Kiedaka, tonight you will remember your past…I will not lie…it will make you feel things you have not felt before, anger, sorrow, and many others…you have not truly known these things as you have lived a sheltered life with me. Yet, it is time to introduce you to these things, for sometimes they can make you strong enough to tear a human apart, yet they can also cause you to cry until your eyes bleed." Kiedaka drank in the words and remained quiet for Nanka looked so serious she dared not move.

"The ingredients I have been gathering for many a moon will make you remember, I will also speak of what I have seen in dreams, for it is where you must go." A nod was given by the still silent troll, although the last words spoken by Nanka were a slight enigma. "Kiedaka, I want you to gather up all your arrows as well as your bow, for that will be all you shall take…do this whilst I prepare the mixture." Helping Nanka to her feet Kiedaka watched the old one briefly as she went about gathering the other ingredients from the inside of the hide tent that hung twixt a few trees. After a hard stare was cast at her by Nanka, Kiedaka began to do as she had been bidden.

Several minutes had passed and Kiedaka had finished the task of gathering up her equipment quite easily, having that her bow was lying out in the clearing and her arrows laid upon rocks it had simply been a task of picking each up. Now the youth watched the elderly orc from her spot near the fire, curious red eyes following the shuffling movements of the crone as she mixed various things in a ground out stone shaped to be a bowl. Nearly an hour of preparation had passed when finally Nanka approached the fire, bowl in hand. Standing as always to help the orc sit Kiedaka was shooed away by a stern glance as the elder sat down without help; although she looked a tad strained Nanka seemed determined to do it on her own.

Taking her own seat Kiedaka watched as Nanka took the contents of the bowl and upturned them over the fire. Instantly it burst into life, licking feverishly at the air and wood as it sparked violently and faded into an almost blue color. The smoke in which billowed from the pinnacle of the small inferno was thick and smelled musty. Kiedaka was forced to cover her mouth and nose, as well as squeeze her eyes shut…so horrid was the smoke. "Kiedaka!" Nanka's voice caused her eyes to ease open, she could barley see the outline of the elder from across the fire yet the more she looked upon the wavering shadow the more it looked like something else…a human almost. Suddenly, Kiedaka remembered.

**-------**

The humans had come from nowhere, erupting from the heavy brush of the forest before the assorted encampment of trolls and orcs had time to defend. Kiedaka was only old enough to have learned the language of her people, and helplessly she watched as her parents bellowed hefty war-crys and flung themselves haphazardly at the attacking humans. The mated pair fought with the ferocity of wild animals, their axes biting deeply into the flesh of many humans, but soon the numerous wounds sustained by the pair began to make them slow, and such was when the decision was made.

Through the violence, the screams, and the gore the two trolls looked to their daughter, to Kiedaka, as she hid herself beneath a makeshift hut. With that the two hurled themselves at their assailants, both became impaled upon the heavy human blades, yet as they died they struggled along the sword striving to get closer to the man at the other end. With the last bit of strength the two trolls died a warrior's death, lobbing the heads from those who clung to the end of the swords on which they stood impaled. Injured beyond help the two fell to the ground, as dead as the now decapitated humans…their mortis hands still held tight upon the hilts.

Crying out for her lifeless parents Kiedaka attracted the attention of one of the attackers. The man grabbed Kiedaka roughly by the arm, dragging the child out from underneath the hut. Bodies lay strewn everywhere, not a single member of the encampment drew breath, their carcasses mangled and bloody. The reason for her memory loss had become apparent. Kiedaka became the surviving humans play thing. Wanting to see if trolls bore the same parts as humans Kiedaka was made to be naked. The men made a game of prodding her in unspeakable places with their hands and sometime weapons.

It seemed the child's screams never went heard by any as she called for help. Yet, such transgressions only earned her a harsh beating. The men stayed in the ruined camp for what seemed like forever to the immensely young troll, she watched as they burned the bodies of those she had known and loved…it was then that Kiedaka began to feel the hot sensation of anger rise in her breast, the rage of the berserker begin to boil. It festered for many days after that until finally it exploded. Even the memory inducing smoke could not bring Kiedaka to know anything after such an event, as all that covered her vision was a red mist, than lastly…a forest…and an orc pinned to a tree.

**-------**

As if slapped in the face Kiedaka was back in the clearing, sitting across the fire from the elderly orc. White hot fire burned within her breast and she stood in a sudden movement screaming her rage, sorrow, and hatred to the sky. All energy suddenly drained from her and the young troll collapsed to the dirt. Gasping for breath Kiedaka looked to Nanka… "Yes Kiedaka, that in which you felt is the rage of your ancestors, your parents, and yourself…remember it, feel it, and embrace it." "Humans have done much to your race, they killed your parents, destroyed your encampment and made you their slave until you embraced your hatred and murdered your slavers in a frenzy. You are weak now…but with training you will be strong in the ways of your people…you will learn the ways of war and help crush the alliance that has brought so much grief to your race!" Nanka seemed enthralled by her speech for she now stood tall and proud.

"Go Kiedaka!" Her hand shot to the northwest. "You must go to Durotar home of my people and what remains of your tribe! There you must seek out Eitrigg in the Valley of Trials. That is where you will start your journey to strength! This I have seen! Now go Kiedaka! Rise as the proud troll you should be and bring honor to us all!" A new type of pride swept through Kiedaka's body, invigorating her, pushing her to stand. Once upon her feet Kiedaka snatched up her weapons and looked sternly upon the one who had raised her to this point. "Do not worry about me Kiedaka, I will always be with you…if you remember me…" A softness befell the now fierce face of the troll as a gentle nod moved her dark hair. "I will bring you honor Nanka!" With that Kiedaka turned to the northwest and ran…she never looked back.

_**Note:** World of Warcraft, Warcraft, Trolls, Orcs and anything having to do with Warcraft is © Blizzard Entertainment_


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